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iley_bf's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Excellent horror anthology with a fun autobiographical twist! It was great reading the story notes afterwards to get a glimpse into the authors real-life inspirations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Blood, and Body horror
vel_d's review
4.0
Extremely personal, autobiographical anthology. I feel like it's pretty far from The Wide, Carnivorous Sky's vibe, but it does what it's set out to do EXTREMELY well. I honestly would personally struggle with describing a lot of it as "horror" but it absolutely draws a lot from the genre and does its own unique thing with it. The overarching vibe is somber and painfully human. I couldn't relate to all of it, but the amount of emotion Langan puts into his prose gripped me at all times.
Reviews of the individual stories, written as I was going through them:
Kore - ★★★★
This one's fairly short and I would have liked just a few more pages of it, but it has some great imagery and is extremely eerie.
Homemade Monsters - ★★★
Magical realism and passion for kaiju! Not my favorite but I think I could appreciate ti more on a reread.
The Open Mouth of Charybdis - ★★★½
Fun idea, but the explanation of the core concept felt a bit rushed.
Shadow and Thirst - ★★★★
This one didn't quite feel like horror either but the plot went in places I couldn't ever expect and it was a very, very fun read as a whole.
Corpsemouth - ★★★½
One of those stories which I probably would appreciate a bit more on a reread. Imagery and emotionality are as great as ever.
Anchor - ★★★★½
Really, really nice story. One of my favorites from this anthology.
Outside the House, Watching for the Crows - ★★★★
Weird, magical, enchanting. Not a favorite but a really pleasant read
What Is Lost, What Is Given Away - ★★★½
Primarily just a human drama. This one wasn't a favorite either but Langan's writing is super good at just pulling me in and making me invested regardless of the actual contents
The Supplement - ★★★★
Another human story tinged with supernatural horror. I like how the sadness in this anthology doesn't feel forced or emotionally exploitative, it just kind of has this... truth to it, in its own way.
Mirror Fishing - ★★★½
One of the weirder yet more standard stories in the anthology. Definitely more of a Stephen King-esque affair (as Langan himself admits in the story notes), it wasn't quite my cup of tea but it was refreshingly different from the more somber stuff.
Caoineadh - ★★★★★
One of my favorites from this anthology. Lonely and beautiful. Really nice, subdued imagery. The prose got me emotional at several points.
I read half of this anthology in the beginning of the year, after a huge reading slump, and I think I was way less emotionally receptive during that time period for this reason. I'll probably need to go back to it at some point and give the stories before Anchor a reread.
Reviews of the individual stories, written as I was going through them:
Kore - ★★★★
This one's fairly short and I would have liked just a few more pages of it, but it has some great imagery and is extremely eerie.
Homemade Monsters - ★★★
Magical realism and passion for kaiju! Not my favorite but I think I could appreciate ti more on a reread.
The Open Mouth of Charybdis - ★★★½
Fun idea, but the explanation of the core concept felt a bit rushed.
Shadow and Thirst - ★★★★
This one didn't quite feel like horror either but the plot went in places I couldn't ever expect and it was a very, very fun read as a whole.
Corpsemouth - ★★★½
One of those stories which I probably would appreciate a bit more on a reread. Imagery and emotionality are as great as ever.
Anchor - ★★★★½
Really, really nice story. One of my favorites from this anthology.
Outside the House, Watching for the Crows - ★★★★
Weird, magical, enchanting. Not a favorite but a really pleasant read
What Is Lost, What Is Given Away - ★★★½
Primarily just a human drama. This one wasn't a favorite either but Langan's writing is super good at just pulling me in and making me invested regardless of the actual contents
The Supplement - ★★★★
Another human story tinged with supernatural horror. I like how the sadness in this anthology doesn't feel forced or emotionally exploitative, it just kind of has this... truth to it, in its own way.
Mirror Fishing - ★★★½
One of the weirder yet more standard stories in the anthology. Definitely more of a Stephen King-esque affair (as Langan himself admits in the story notes), it wasn't quite my cup of tea but it was refreshingly different from the more somber stuff.
Caoineadh - ★★★★★
One of my favorites from this anthology. Lonely and beautiful. Really nice, subdued imagery. The prose got me emotional at several points.
I read half of this anthology in the beginning of the year, after a huge reading slump, and I think I was way less emotionally receptive during that time period for this reason. I'll probably need to go back to it at some point and give the stories before Anchor a reread.
demanley's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A decent mix of horror shorts that starts to feel a little derivative of itself.
damesies's review
4.0
I don’t want to read John Langan stories-in-stories-in-stories anymore.
I want to sit crisscross applesauce in front of him, as he relaxes in a recently reupholstered chair, fireside, orating his stories in the way they deserve to be delivered.
He’s got a finite set of themes (dysfunctional family, father/son, portals to parallel, runeology and mythical transcendence) but my god if they aren’t totally absorbing. Langan has a gift to over-intellectualize characters and pave predictable arcs in a way that is completely entrancing. Like, fuck dude - I should be more critical but this stuff just goes from 1-10 on the weirdometer with an unnerving fluidity.
Corpsemouth is literally the coolest portmanteau in the 21st century.
I want to sit crisscross applesauce in front of him, as he relaxes in a recently reupholstered chair, fireside, orating his stories in the way they deserve to be delivered.
He’s got a finite set of themes (dysfunctional family, father/son, portals to parallel, runeology and mythical transcendence) but my god if they aren’t totally absorbing. Langan has a gift to over-intellectualize characters and pave predictable arcs in a way that is completely entrancing. Like, fuck dude - I should be more critical but this stuff just goes from 1-10 on the weirdometer with an unnerving fluidity.
Corpsemouth is literally the coolest portmanteau in the 21st century.
lizardgod's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
smalefowles's review
3.0
This one was okay. I feel as if he's drawing more and more on his own life, and not fully transmuting it the way he's done in some of his best work ("Technicolor," for example). The narrator just always seemed to be the exact same person, and I know Langan is capable of better. All of these stories seem like versions of stories I've read before (except maybe "Mirror Fishing"), which is totally fine if they are redone in a more unique voice.
Also maybe I am just a cranky childless crone who is sick of the theme of 'parenthood as ultimate meaning of life'. Though I did find "The Supplement" to be a touching look at what we would give up to reclaim those we've lost. Different theme next time, pls.
Also maybe I am just a cranky childless crone who is sick of the theme of 'parenthood as ultimate meaning of life'. Though I did find "The Supplement" to be a touching look at what we would give up to reclaim those we've lost. Different theme next time, pls.